


Happy Birthday, Baby

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: First Steps [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 20:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Set in the First Steps verse, just before chapter 4.Ellie (Peanut) turns one.





	

Regina smiles as she leans over the crib, tucking her hair behind her ears before smoothing Ellie’s wild red wisps. She hates to wake her–especially when she’s finally slept past six and likely needs the sleep–but it’s quarter after seven, and there due at Granny’s at nine for a birthday breakfast with the family.

The back of her fingers brush gently against Ellie’s soft, chubby cheek, and down over the fuzzy pink fabric that covers her rounded tummy–and Regina’s smile warms as the little girl starts to stir. Her face scrunches as she turns her head, her legs kicking as her butt wiggles, and then a muffled little whimper escapes her. Regina tickles her and her feet kick faster, and she makes a sound that’s something between a laugh and a cry.

“Good morning, Peanut,” Regina coos. “Happy birthday, baby.” Ellie’s eyes pinch tighter as her arms flail before Regina’s hands slip under her, lifting her from the crib. She grins as Ellie’s eyes blink open as she cuddles against her robe, comforted by the warmth and closeness of her mother, but still not happy to be awake.

“I know, I know,” Regina says in a sing-song voice as she lightly bounces her on the way to the glider. “Getting up early is never fun.” Ellie looks up at her with wide blue eyes as her fingers find her mouth and she sucks lightly at them. “But today will be fun. I promise.” She rubs her hand over Ellie’s diapered bottom and chubby thighs, sighing wistfully as she tells her about how there will be a cake just for her and lots of presents and she’ll have new toys to play with–and in that moment, she’s struck by how far they’ve come.

A year before, she’d been so reluctant to love this little girl–a little girl she now adores, a little girl who makes her world a little brighter, a little girl who on a daily basis reminds her that good can be born out of even the bleakest of situations and reminds her of the healing power of love.

Though she never voice it, she’d wondered if she and Robin would make it–she loved him, but life had taught her that love wasn’t enough–and she feared that they wouldn’t make it through the storm, that he would be patient with her and give her time to adjust, not when it came to his daughter. But he had been patient, he’d understood her caution and he’d been there to help her through it–and they were stronger because of it Grinning down at Ellie, she crosses her eyes and scrunches her nose, making the little girl giggle–she’d created a bond between them that could never be broken.

Regina tickles the bottom of her foot and her laugh rings out–a laugh that never fails to bring a smile to her face and make her heart flutter with love. She continues to rock her and tells her more about the party–she tells her about the streamers and the balloons that Henry picked out and the special one that Roland picked out just for her that will be tied to the back of her highchair; she tells her about the sunny yellow party dress that she’ll get to wear and she tells her how even Ducky–her favorite stuffed animal and best friend who accompanies her everywhere–will have a special bow to wear for the occasion.

And then her throat tightens and her chest constricts as she tells her that she loves her, that she’s glad to have a day to celebrate her–a day to celebrate how she’s blessed their lives and undoubtedly made their world better, a day to celebrate the little girl who completed their family and on a daily basis reminds them that love is most powerful magic in all the realms.


End file.
